Richard Marx coming to Andover Central Park for free concert June 22

Monday

May 13, 2013 at 12:56 PMMay 14, 2013 at 10:26 AM

The Andover Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and BOB-FM announced today Richard Marx will be performing live in concert Saturday, June 22 in Andover Central Park. The concert will be FREE to attend, however concert-goers must obtain a ticket from one of several area businesses prior to the show.

The Andover Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and BOB-FM announced today Richard Marx will be performing live in concert Saturday, June 22 in Andover Central Park. The concert will be FREE to attend, however concert-goers must obtain a ticket from one of several area businesses prior to the show.The summer concert in the park stemmed from the desire of the Andover CVB to build a permanent outdoor amphitheater in Central Park. The CVB decided in late 2012 the best way to gauge interest in the project would be to host a free concert. If the event is successful, the group will continue to move forward in recommending plans to the Andover City Council to build an amphitheater in Central Park.The Andover Convention and Visitors Bureau is funded through hotel guest taxes, received through the two local hotels: Days Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Andover general fund tax dollars are not being used to pay for the event.“I think this will be a great project for Andover and for the region,” says CVB Chairperson Ben Lawrence. “I can imagine families coming throughout the concert season, with lawn chairs and blankets, enjoying live entertainment inthe beautiful setting of Central Park. Outdoor theaters are certainly coming back in style.”BOB-FM got involved with the project early in 2013 because the timing coincided with their plans for the station’s 7th birthday party. General Manager Doug Downs says, “The partnership between our station and the Andover CVB is awin-win relationship. We had the goal of a similar summer event, free for the public to enjoy. It just made sense to do this as a joint project.”Richard Marx has a nearly three-decade career to his credit as a performer, songwriter and producer. He has sold more than 30 million albums. Some of his chart-topping songs include: “Hold on to the Nights,” “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting.” Marx remains the only male artist in history to have his first 7 singles reach theTop 5 on the Billboard charts.Marx also has enjoyed a second, very successful career as a songwriter and producer with songs like “To Where You Are,” the first hit single from Josh Groban’s debut album, as well as “Dance with My Father,” a 2004 Grammy Song of the Year he co-authored with Luther Vandross. Other artists he has written songs for include: Barbra Streisand, VinceGill, LeAnn Rimes, Natalie Cole, Travis Tritt, Daughtry, and Lifehouse. Just last year, Richard scored a #1 Country single with Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer,” his second with Urban after “Better Life.”Richard remains active as a live performer with an ongoing solo acoustic tour that’s taken him around the United States as well as to China and throughout Europe.Ticket locations will be listed online at WWW.971BOBFM.COM on Friday, May 24.